Puppy Mills

How Much Is That Puppy In The Window?

Puppy mills are breeding operations where the animals are kept in over-crowded and unsanitary cages without adequate veterinary care, food, water or socialization. The puppies born in these facilities are usually sold to pet stores or over the internet. Dogs in mills are usually kept in cages with wire flooring that injures their paws and legs. The wire cages are often stacked in columns where the waste falls on the unfortunate animal below. The breeding animals in these facilities are over-bred and then killed when they can no longer reproduce.

There are no adequate laws in Maryland to prevent puppy mills. There is no license required in Maryland to operate a breeding facility. Inspections of breeding facilities must be announced ahead of time.

What you can do to stop puppy mills...

First, get active. Join Maryland Votes for Animals and become a voice for change in Annapolis. Write or call your state representative. You can locate the names of your representatives by clicking on the Find your Elected Officials link on every page. Tell them that you want all breeders to be licensed in Maryland. You want inspections to be unannounced. You want enough space in each cage for animals to stand up and move. You want to eliminate overcrowding. You want to eliminate wire cages. You want all breeding animals to have access to food, water, veterinary care, and socialization.

Second, don't buy animals from pet stores or over the internet. Breeders exist because there is profit in animal suffering.

Third, spread the word about puppy mills. If you know someone who is thinking of buying a puppy, tell them about mills. The sad truth is, nearly all animals sold in the Untied States come from puppy mills. Urge them to adopt, not buy.

Our Mission

Maryland Votes for Animals (MVFA) is a Political Action Committee with one overriding mission: To create an ever-growing voting bloc of animal advocates who will elect representatives willing to champion and vote for animal protection legislation, and to hold politicians accountable to their constituents.

Want to get involved with changing the law to help animals? Start here!